His career began in earnest in the late sixties, when he joined the pub rock outfit Kippington Lodge; the band would later be renamed after its other key member, Lowe’s friend, Brinsley Schwarz. He was with the band for a tumultuous seven years, which saw them struggle to establish credibility outside of the London pub circuit; nevertheless, some of his most enduring songs were written during that time, including ‘(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding’, which would later be a huge hit for Elvis Costello.
In the late seventies, Lowe began to release solo material, often named as humorous ripostes to huge records of the time; ‘Bowi’ was a play on David Bowie’s ‘Low’, and the album ‘Max’ by The Rumour was produced by Lowe, who apparently designated it as an ‘answer’ to ‘Rumours’ by Fleetwood Mac. He’s written a slew of songs known best for their cover versions - including ‘The Beast in Me’, covered by his then-father-in-law, Johnny Cash - as well as songs like ‘Cruel to Be Kind’ that were hits for Lowe - and Schwarz - in their own right. He’s no longer active as a producer, but continues to write, record and tour - he played the main stage at Hyde Park’s British Summer Time event in July 2013.
I've only seen Nick Lowe twice, Seattle '91 and Chicago/Evanston 2013. He plays a solid acoustic of country/roadhouse rock. But original know as 'The Jesus of Power Pop', I love those compositions the most, 'So it Goes', 'Cruel, to be Kind', 'What's so Funny 'bout Peace, Love and Understanding (made famous by Elvis Costello), 'Switchboard Susan' and 'Breaking Glass' to name a few.
He's surviving pop/rock artist who is comfortable in his skin, relatable to his audience and sincerely looks like he is enjoying himself.